Impact of Educational Pressure on Illegal Substance Use

This study aims to identify the impact of academic pressure on illegal substance use among students. It explores the relationship between academic pressure and psychological stability, as well as the correlation between academic pressure and substance use. The study also suggests recommended activities for minimizing substance use through curriculum changes. The research variables include educational pressure as the independent variable and illegal substance use as the dependent variable. The research will be conducted using a positivism philosophy and a deductive approach. Data will be collected through a mixed methodology, including a quantitative survey and secondary analysis. The sampling procedure will be cluster sampling, with a sample size of 200 students from three universities in Australia.

Running head: SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Background............................................................................................................................2
1.2 Research aim..........................................................................................................................2
1.3 Research objectives...............................................................................................................2
1.4 Research questions.................................................................................................................3
1.5 Research hypothesis...............................................................................................................3
2. Literature review..........................................................................................................................3
3. Methodology................................................................................................................................4
3.1 Research variables.................................................................................................................4
3.2 Research philosophy..............................................................................................................5
3.3 Research Approach................................................................................................................5
3.4 Research design.....................................................................................................................5
3.5 Data collection process..........................................................................................................6
3.6 Sampling procedure...............................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................7

2SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY

3SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
Topic: Impact of educational pressure on illegal substance use
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
The educational pressure imposes an increasing threat to psychological needs of the
students. Islam and McRae (2014) stated that the academic pressure on children generates
depression, anxiety and stress, which might result to imbalance in their psychological elements.
On the other hand, the maximization of academic pressure might result to the utilization of
illegal substance for combating with depression and stress. The increasing pressure of the
academics might affect the psychological wellbeing of the students. McDonough, Jose and
Stuart (2016) stated in a research that around 67% of the teenagers are addicted to drugs due to
the increasing pressure on their academic fields. Therefore, the increasing academic curriculum
pressure on the students might result to maximization of illegal substance use by teenagers.
1.2 Research aim
The research will aim at identifying the impact of academic pressure on illegal substance
use.
1.3 Research objectives
The objectives for undertaking the research will be:
 To understand the manner in which increasing academic pressure affects the
psychological stability of the students
 To examine the impact of academic pressure on illegal substance use
 To identify the correlation between academic pressure and illegal substance use

4SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
 To suggest recommended activities for minimizing the use of illegal substance through
considerable changes in the curriculum
1.4 Research questions
The research questions for the study will be
 How does the increasing academic pressure affect the psychological stability of the
students?
 What is the impact of academic pressure on illegal substance use?
 What is the relation between academic pressure and illegal substance use?
 What recommended activities might be undertaken for minimizing the use of illegal
substance through considerable changes in the curriculum?
1.5 Research hypothesis
H0 - Academic pressure does not affect the rate of illegal substance use among students
H1 - Academic pressure affects the rate of illegal substance use among students
2. Literature review
The academic pressure leads to different types of psychological disorders like depression,
anxiety and stress, which might result to an inclination towards the illegal substance use among
students (Anderson, Rehm & Room, 2015). Gignon et al. (2015) noted in a research that the
56% of the students are addicted to drug as a remedy for the stressors. On the other hand, the
other 44% of the students are more inclined towards drug use due to boredom (Barrett et al.,
2015). The stressors that are being faced by the students are dependent on the intensification of

5SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
the academic pressure. Eisenberg et al. (2014) stated that the growing rate of academic pressure
has affected the mental growth of the students due to the increased amount of stress and fear.
Therefore, the intensification of the academic pressure has affected the capabilities of the
students in developing their cognitive and motor skills.
On the other hand, the growing academic pressure has affected the capabilities of the
students while adhering to the enhanced standards of the academics. Frustration and mental
instability has resulted to the utilization of illegal drugs, which has resulted to degraded memory
and health. The development of a comprehensive curriculum in academic fields has affected the
capabilities of the students and the mental stability of the students. Butterfield et al. (2016)
stated in a study that more than 3 million Australians utilize illicit drugs among which 12% are
students who are frustrated with their academic career. The curriculum development process is
based on the merits of students, which fluctuates in accordance to the mental capabilities of the
same (Farrugia, 2017). In this relation, it has been studied that a basic inclination towards drug
use is developed among the students who are frustrated and nervous of the consequences of their
academic career.
3. Methodology
3.1 Research variables
The independent research variable that will be considered for the study will be
educational pressure and the dependent variable is illegal substance use among the students. The
delineation of the variables will assist in defining the type of relationship that is be8iing shared
by the variables. The identification of the correlation between the variables will assist in guiding
the research towards the objective of the same.

6SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
3.2 Research philosophy
The research will be undertaken through the utilization of the positivism philosophy,
which will assist in upholding the efficiency of the study through the identification of scientific
approaches towards understanding the impact of academic pressure on the illicit stuff utilization
among the students. The philosophy will assist in identifying different behavioral approaches for
delineating the mental state of the students through complications in the curriculum and
enhanced pressure of academics.
3.3 Research Approach
The research will be conducted through the application of deductive approach, which
will assist in enhancing the quality of study while gathering data from the different available
sources. On the other hand, behavioral models, frameworks and the review of the Australian
curriculum will assist in enriching the current study through the delineation of the impact of the
academic pressure on the inclinations towards the illicit substance that is commonly found
among students.
3.4 Research design
The research will be conducted through the utilization of Explanatory research design,
which will assist in identifying the cause and effect relation between the academic pressure and
the use of illegal substance among students. The delineation of the cause and effect relation will
assist in guiding the study toe\wards the estimated findings of the same. On the other hand, the
utilization of the explanatory research design will support in enriching the study through
forecasting the recommended activities with the purpose of bringing forth modifications in the
curriculum design for minimizing the rate of students’ inclination towards the use of illegal
substance.

7SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
3.5 Data collection process
The data for the research will be collected through the utilization of mixed data
collection methodology, which will consist of primary quantitative survey and secondary
analysis from different sources. The primary quantitative study will be conducted through the
development of a survey questionnaire, which will be circulated among the students wit the
objective of studying their responses relating to the illegal substance use. The primary
quantitative study will assist in understanding the mental state of the students and the manner in
which academic pressure has contributed to their depression for which they resorted to the illegal
substance use.
On the other hand, the secondary research will be undertaken through the evaluation of
information from different sources like articles, thesis papers, peer reviewed journals, blogs,
Australian curriculum and online sources. The data will be collected through the utilization of
reliable sources, which will assist in developing a coherent understanding of the manner in
which academic pressure affect the capabilities of the students.
3.6 Sampling procedure
The sampling procedure that will be undertaken for the research is cluster sampling, as it
will assist in taking sample of population, which are mutually homogeneous but are internally
heterogeneous groupings. In this relation, the research will be undertaken on the Australian
population, which is homogeneous. However, the survey will be conducted with the aim of
gathering feedbacks from the students, which represents a heterogeneous group among the
population. The sample size of the population will be 200 students from three universities in
Australia. The larger sample size will assist in maintaining the efficiency of the research study
and guiding the same towards an unbiased outcome.

8SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
References
Anderson, P., Rehm, J., & Room, R. (Eds.). (2015). Impact of addictive substances and
behaviours on individual and societal well-being. OUP Oxford.
Barrett, E. L., Newton, N. C., Teesson, M., Slade, T., & Conrod, P. J. (2015). Adapting the
personality‐targeted P reventure program to prevent substance use and associated harms
among high‐risk A ustralian adolescents. Early intervention in psychiatry, 9(4), 308-315.
Butterfield, R., Barratt, M., Ezard, N., & Day, R. (2016). Drug checking to improve monitoring
of new psychoactive substances in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 204(4), 144-
145.
Eisenberg, M. E., Toumbourou, J. W., Catalano, R. F., & Hemphill, S. A. (2014). Social norms
in the development of adolescent substance use: A longitudinal analysis of the
International Youth Development Study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(9), 1486-
1497.
Farrugia, A. (2017). Gender, reputation and regret: The ontological politics of Australian drug
education. Gender and education, 29(3), 281-298.
Gignon, M., Havet, E., Ammirati, C., Traullé, S., Manaouil, C., Balcaen, T., ... & Ganry, O.
(2015). Alcohol, cigarette, and illegal substance consumption among medical students: a
cross-sectional survey. Workplace health & safety, 63(2), 54-63.
Islam, M. M., & McRae, I. S. (2014). An inevitable wave of prescription drug monitoring
programs in the context of prescription opioids: pros, cons and tensions. BMC
pharmacology and toxicology, 15(1), 46.

9SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
McDonough, M. H., Jose, P. E., & Stuart, J. (2016). Bi-directional effects of peer relationships
and adolescent substance use: A longitudinal study. Journal of youth and
adolescence, 45(8), 1652-1663.